Smash Burger Tacos are the perfect hybrid of a burger and taco. Ground beef is smashed directly onto a tortilla and cooked until crispy then topped with melty cheese, pickles, and my homemade burger sauce.
Switch up Taco Tuesday with these amazing Smash Burger Tacos! They are truly a work of art and made by uniquely spreading ground beef over a flour tortilla, then smashing them into a hot griddle or pan. The end result is a thin, juicy beef patty inside a perfectly crispy, golden tortilla with melted cheese, onion, lettuce, pickles and burger sauce! An irresistible dinner the whole family will love is served in less than 20 minutes!
Not only are these super flavorful and so easy to make, but you’ll only need 2 essential ingredients (the meat and tortilla), then you can add cheese and your favorite hamburger toppings. Love grilled onions? Add them to the beef before cooking. Want to use ground turkey instead of beef? Go for it! You can totally make these your own!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Delicious Burgers in Taco Form: If you love Smashburger or Big Macs, you will be absolutely obsessed with the deliciousness of these Big Mac Tacos!
- Customizable: Like most any burger recipe, these are versatile! Change up the ingredients based on what you like.
- Kid-friendly: This is one of those meals the whole family will enjoy! Kids and adults will gobble these up!
- Filling and Tasty: A satisfying and hearty meal that you’ll want to enjoy on repeat.
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Beef: We recommend using 80/20 ground beef for this recipe because it has a good amount of fat to yield the perfect juicy burger patty. 85/15 will be dryer and not as flavorful, and 90/10 is much too lean and will not taste very good.
- Tortillas: Instead of a hamburger bun, these Smashburger tacos, aka Big Mac tacos, use 6-inch small flour tortillas.
- Cheese: The original Smashburger is made with American cheese, which is what we like to use. You can change it up and use cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, provolone cheese or any other sliced cheese.
- Toppings: Anything you like to add to your burger works great on these tacos. We love minced onion, shredded lettuce and dill pickles.
- Sauce: Our homemade burger sauce can be whipped up in just a couple of minutes and will take these tacos to the next level! If you like ketchup and/or mustard on your burger, feel free to add that.
How to Make Smashburger Tacos
In a medium bowl, combine the beef, salt & pepper. Lay tortillas flat on a parchment paper or sheet pan.
Divide the meat mixture evenly onto each tortilla and press it into a thin layer that covers the entire tortilla. The meat mixture will shrink as it cooks. If you like grilled onions, press a thin layer of minced onion on top of the beef before grilling.
Preheat a hot skillet over high heat. Lightly brush the skillet with oil and make sure the grill is smoking hot. Place the tortillas beef side down on top of the skillet using a spatula to smash/flatten it.
Cook for 1-2 minutes per side then flip and top with a slice of cheese. Cover with the lid for a few seconds to melt the cheese.
Remove from heat and top with shredded lettuce, minced onion, pickles, and a generous drizzle of my favorite burger sauce.
Expert Tips
- Choosing Tortillas: For this recipe corn tortillas will not work well. The texture will not be as delicious paired with the patty, and the beef patty will not stick to it as well as with flour tortillas. Also, be sure to use small flour tortillas, 6 to 8-inches, not a burrito-sized tortilla.
- Burger Press: If you have a burger press, use that to smash down on the tortilla and flatten the meat. It will be even easier to use and more sturdy than a spatula.
- Other Seasonings: Feel free to add other seasonings to your ground beef. Some other delicious options are garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder, all-purpose seasoning salt, or Worcestershire sauce.
- Don’t Overcook: Once smashed, the hamburger patty will be really thin and will cook quickly. It will only take a couple of minutes per side, be sure to watch closely so they don’t get overcooked.
- Serving: You can serve these flat or folded like a taco. If you want to eat them folded, fold as soon as it comes out of the pan.
Storage Tips
These Smashburger tacos are best enjoyed immediately after cooking. The tortillas will eventually become soggy. However, if you have leftovers, place the tacos in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
You can reheat in an air fryer, in the oven or on the stovetop for a few minutes. Using the air fryer will probably give you the best results and really crisp up the tortilla.
What to serve with Smashburger tacos?
These tacos are great served with burger sides or taco sides! Here are some of our go-to options:
- French Fries
- Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Onion Rings
- Potato Chips
- Mexican Rice
- Refried Beans
- Chips and queso or salsa
Recipe FAQs
Will the tortillas get soggy from the beef?
Yes, over time the tortillas can get soggy. However, because we’re cooking these in a very hot skillet and flipping them to crisp up the tortilla, the tortilla will stay nice and crisp for plenty of time to eat these.
How to check that the meat is done cooking?
These patties are super thin, so they shouldn’t need any more than just about 2 to 3 minutes to cook. If you’re worried they are not done enough, poke the inside of the beef with a sharp knife and check to ensure they are cooked to your liking.
Can you reheat leftover Smashburger tacos?
While you can reheat leftover tacos, it’s not ideal. The tortillas will not have that same crispy texture and the meat won’t be quite as moist. However, reheating them for a few minutes in an air fryer will give you the best results.
Looking for more taco recipes?
- Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa
- Chicken Tacos
- Blackened Salmon Tacos
- Cod Fish Tacos
- Easy Baked Tacos
- Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Smash Burger Tacos (Big Mac Tacos)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds ground beef, 80/20 fat ratio
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 (6-inch) small flour tortillas
- 6 slices American cheese , or sliced cheese of choice
- shredded lettuce, minced onion, dill pickles, for topping
- burger sauce
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the beef, salt & pepper. Lay tortillas flat on a parchment paper or sheet pan.
- Divide the meat mixture evenly onto each tortilla and press it into a thin layer that covers the entire tortilla. The meat mixture will shrink as it cooks. If you like grilled onions, press a thin layer of minced onion on top of the beef before grilling.
- Preheat a hot skillet over high heat. Lightly brush the skillet with oil and make sure the grill is smoking hot. Place the tortillas beef side down on top of the skillet using a spatula to smash/flatten it.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes per side then flip and top with a slice of cheese. Cover with the lid for a few seconds to melt the cheese.
- Remove from heat and top with shredded lettuce, minced onion, pickles, and a generous drizzle of my favorite burger sauce.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe by: Layla Atik // Gimme Delicious | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
How do you cook 6 6” tortillas at once??
Lynn
You can use a long griddle or cook them in batches of 2-3.